SMC³ Creates New Rating System for LTL Shipments to and from Mexico
Mexican rates mean true economic transparency throughout North American shipping lanes

Peachtree City, GA - May 22, 2003 - SMC³, a leading provider of Technology Tools for Transportation®, announces its new rating system for LTL shipments to and from Mexico. The rating system, which includes Mexican base rates, fulfills LTL motor carriers’ requirements for a borderless baseline pricing system between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“A high percentage of freight being routed through the Mexican points of entry are from U.S. based companies,” said Danny Slaton, vice president of sales and marketing for SMC³. “These companies look for the best economic corridors between the two countries. We have identified the top four corridors these trucks travel through to establish a solid, predictable baseline of rates.”

SMC³ is well known for its CzarLite™ product, which has become the basis for thousands of LTL contracts that annually account for over $9 billion in managed transportation. CzarLite pricing products are licensed to over 400 carriers, including all 50 of the largest national, multi-regional and regional LTL carriers. In addition, over 1000 shippers use CzarLite as their LTL negotiating base.

SMC³ developed its “south of the border” CzarLite rates by adding Mexican rates to the standard CzarLite U.S. rates. That is, a shipment between any U.S. point and a Mexican border crossing point continues to move under the standard, established CzarLite rates, while the distance from the border crossing point to the Mexican destination determines an applicable rate for the Mexican portion of the move. The structural characteristics of the Mexican rates are identical to CzarLite’s southern U.S. rates.

SMC³ provides rates to over 600 points within Mexico. The methodology used for rate development is based upon the point-to-point rate system used in Mexico today. This point-to-point rate system, coupled with U.S. CzarLite rates and presented as a “through” rate, provides a seamless rating system that is easy for both the U.S. and Mexican carrier to understand.

The uniform base rate also allows shippers to conduct business predictably in Mexico, like they do within the U.S., because pricing is simplified for a better understanding of the actual transportation charges. Furthermore, these baseline rates allow those who purchase transportation services to standardize several critical areas of their business operations, including accounting functions, computer systems and purchasing agreements-offering truly competitive rates to their customers and creating economic value in terms of increased productivity and efficiency.

“Carriers and shippers who use CzarLite today for their shipments within and between the U.S. and Canada will find that SMC³’s Mexican rates are a natural addition to their systems,” said Jack E. Middleton, president and CEO of SMC³. “This means true economic transparency for their North American shipping lanes.”

For more information about SMC³ and the new Mexican baseline pricing system, visit www.smc3.com or call 1-800-845-8090. Click to view the CzarLite™ Base Rates for the Mexican Marketplace white paper.

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